Where to buy...

clickchick_23 · Feb 4, 2009

Good morning everyone! This is my first post and I'm hoping someone can give me some advice. This is the list of equipment that I want to purchase:

Canon 50D
Canon 18-200 Lens
Battery Grip
580 EX II Speedlite

I've had some really bad experiences with online sites being extremely rude or being scam sites. Can anyone recommend a site to purchase from that isn't going to cost me an arm and a let?

Thanks in advance!!
Jen

Big Mike · Feb 4, 2009

Welcome to the forum Jen.

I highly recommend B&H Photo. They are a very large photography retailer and have a very good reputation.
Adorama is also a very good place to buy from.

They may not have the lowest listed price, you can rest assured that you won't get ripped off and the price is going to be fair.

Samanax · Feb 4, 2009

I buy most of my photography equipment from B&H, but do get some things from Amazon too.

tomhooper · Feb 4, 2009

B&H and Adorama seem to be the best for me.

DRoberts · Feb 4, 2009

I would highly suggest buying from a local dealer. A true camera store that has knowledgable sales people, rather than a Best Buy or Circuit City type place. At a local retailer you can actually hold the piece of equipment you are wanting, and if there are problems its a short trip to get it taken care of, rather than hoping you get a good copy off the net, and having to deal with shipping cost and delays if you have to return, or send in for repairs. Local places may be a bit more expensive than online deals you can find, but for good service its worth it. I always buy local at Lawerence Photo in Springfield, Mo.

Miss Sony · Feb 4, 2009

Samanax said:
I buy most of my photography equipment from B&H, but do get some things from Amazon too.

Same here, never had a problem and the items always arrived in perfect condition and on time

Jaszek · Feb 4, 2009

B&H and Adorama for me. They are my local dealers

rdzmzda · Feb 5, 2009

to add i like amazon for certain things and even ebay (if its new)

DRoberts · Feb 5, 2009

Jaszek said:
B&H and Adorama for me. They are my local dealers

Yeah I guess they are...makes it handy.

modlife · Feb 23, 2009

I buy from Amazon. If you need a battery grip, I'd recommend you read my review of the new Zeikos grip. I'm loving it for $70 - WAY nicer than the Adorama or Opteka

Zeikos Battery Grip Review

AUZambo · Feb 23, 2009

Jaszek said:
B&H and Adorama for me. They are my local dealers

cheater

Village Idiot · Feb 23, 2009

DRoberts said:
I would highly suggest buying from a local dealer. A true camera store that has knowledgable sales people, rather than a Best Buy or Circuit City type place. At a local retailer you can actually hold the piece of equipment you are wanting, and if there are problems its a short trip to get it taken care of, rather than hoping you get a good copy off the net, and having to deal with shipping cost and delays if you have to return, or send in for repairs. Local places may be a bit more expensive than online deals you can find, but for good service its worth it. I always buy local at Lawerence Photo in Springfield, Mo.

My local dealer always charges a lot more than places like B&H. The only reason I buy from there is if it's something I need in an emergency or it's something like a bag where I want to see if it fits and it's something I need to try before I buy.

$100 for a Canon 50mm f/1.8 vs. $75ish
$137 for a Kata backpack vs. $99
$2100 for a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS vs. $1400ish

TheOtherBob · Feb 23, 2009

Jaszek said:
B&H and Adorama for me. They are my local dealers

Yeah, I walk by B&H at least once a week -- it's on the way to the grocery store. For some reason, though, my girlfriend has started demanding we do all grocery shopping on Saturdays...I can't figure out why...

linpelk · Feb 23, 2009

I also buy from B&H. I feel bad for the local businesses, but no one wants to pay significantly more than they have to. The other benefit for me is no sales tax from B & H (I'm not sure about you all that live in NY) and often times, free shipping. If you're buying a big ticket item, the tax can add up. I also don't have to feel bad if I want to return something. I just go online, get a return number and ship it back. I don't have to go look that local guy in the eye and tell him that I don't want his family to eat tonight. I hate that feeling!!